The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to connectors that may be mated in an orthogonal relationship.
Some electrical systems utilize electrical connectors to interconnect two circuit boards to one another. In some applications, the circuit boards may be oriented orthogonal to one another. The electrical connectors are typically right angle connectors mounted to an edge of the circuit boards. To electrically connect the right angle connectors, a midplane circuit board is provided with front and rear header connectors on opposed front and rear sides of the midplane circuit board. The midplane circuit board is orthogonal to both of the circuit boards being connected. The front header connector receives one of the right angle connectors and the rear header connector receives the other right angle connector. The front and rear header connectors each include pins that are connected to corresponding mating contacts of the right angle connectors. The pins of the front header connector are electrically connected to the pins of the rear header connector by the midplane circuit board. For example, traces are routed along and/or through the midplane circuit board to electrically connect corresponding pins with one another.
Known electrical systems that utilize right angle connectors and header connectors mounted to a midplane circuit board are not without disadvantages. For instance, known electrical systems are prone to signal degradation due to the number of mating interfaces provided between the two circuit boards that are being connected. For example, along the signal path from one circuit board to the other circuit board includes a first board interface with the first right angle connector, the mating interface between the first right angle connector and the first header connector, a board interface between the first header connector and the midplane board, another board interface between the midplane board and the second header connector, a mating interface between the second header connector and the second right angle connector, and a board interface between the second right angle connector and the second circuit board. Signal degradation is inherent at each different interface. Additionally, some signal degradation is inherent along any portion of the contacts, pins and traces defining the signal path between the two boards. The signal degradation problems are particularly noticeable at higher signal speeds.
Some connector systems have been proposed to address the signal loss caused by transmitting signals along traces on the midplane circuit board. Such connector systems, sometimes referred to as cross connect systems, minimize the number and lengths of traces in the midplane. The connector systems can have any of several transmission line geometries, and in some cases, a coplanar transmission line geometry is used, wherein signal and grounds are arranged in a spaced apart relationship in a common plane. The header connectors are mounted on opposite sides of the midplane circuit board through vias that extend through the midplane. Such header connectors allow at least some traces to be eliminated. One example of a cross connect system is the connector system described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,802.
Other problems with known connector systems that utilize a midplane circuit board is the cost of the midplane circuit board and the cost of the front and rear header connectors. Costs arise from the manufacture of the components and the assembly of the components. Thus, the interconnection of orthogonal circuit boards with minimal signal loss remains a challenge.